Lenin's Roller Coaster Audiobook By David Downing cover art

Lenin's Roller Coaster

Preview
Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends April 30, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Lenin's Roller Coaster

By: David Downing
Narrated by: Robert Ian Mackenzie
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends April 30, 2025 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.49

Buy for $21.49

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

The third Jack McColl espionage thriller by David Downing (also the author of the WWII Station series) brings together two lovers in Bolshevik Russia.

Winter 1917: As a generation of Europe's young men perish on the Eastern and Western fronts, British spy Jack McColl is assigned a sabotage mission deep in Central Asia, where German influence is strong. As he quickly realizes, the mission only becomes more dangerous the closer he gets to its heart. Meanwhile, the woman he loves, Irish-American suffragette journalist Caitlin Hanley, is in Bolshevik Russia, thrilled to have the chance to cover the Revolution.

Caitlin knows Moscow is where she is meant to be during this historic event - even if she is putting her own life at risk to bear witness. But four years of bloody war have taken their toll on all of Europe, and Jack and Caitlin's relationship may become another casualty. Caitlin's political convictions have always been for progress, feminism, and socialism - often diametrically opposed to the conservative goals of the British Empire Jack serves. Up until now Jack and Caitlin have managed to set aside their allegiances and stay faithful to each other, but the stakes of their affair have risen too high. Can a revolutionary love a spy? And if she does, will it cost one of them their lives?

©2017 David Downing (P)2017 Recorded Books
Espionage Historical Mystery Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense Fiction War Imperialism Heartfelt Suspense
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro768_stickypopup

What listeners say about Lenin's Roller Coaster

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    21
  • 4 Stars
    17
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    22
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    18
  • 4 Stars
    15
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

this series has pleased less with each book

I was unhappy with the previous book's setup of going from Jack's story to Caitlin's story. While this setup keeps the storyline in a sort of chronological order, it struck me as disjunct. This book amplified my unhappy feelings of the book's setup. I would have enjoyed the book much more if it had simply followed Jack. While I am interested in the feminine politics that concern Caitlin, her character just does not resonate with me. neither does Jack's character for that matter, but I find myself more willing to suspend my sense of disbelief with Jack's actions. By employing separate plots, and bouncing back and forth between them, the book felt much too episodic to me and di not strike me as a whole, let alone a well-conceived whole.
The rating gets bumped a notch simply for taking me as a reader to places and events that I have not run across in my reading. I find myself caring less about the characters as the books progress forward.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Downing's clunker

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The story line stretches credulity, and the characters are tired.

Would you ever listen to anything by David Downing again?

I enjoyed the 'Station' series, and have listened to the two previous books in this series. This is the weakest.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful